Topic: Physician Assisted Suicide

Overview: Persuasion is a constant in each of our lives. No matter where we look, what we read, what we see, or who we interact with, we are inevitably going to encounter some form of persuasion. Advertisements want us to buy things. Newspapers and television want to convince us of how we should feel about events. We are put into positions where we must defend our thoughts and beliefs to others, and the process we apply is typically some form of persuasion.

Persuasive writing is one of the most powerful forms of writing—it has the ability to influence one’s thoughts, and also the ability to change one’s mind about a particular issue. The persuasive essay is an ideal tool for supporting an opinion on an issue using researched facts and information. It also gives you the chance to recognize an opposing viewpoint and refute it, noting that those who hold the opposing viewpoint are the intended audience of the piece.

Prompt: For this assignment, you will use a guided prompt to write notes that will help you better understand how to approach the persuasive essay. As you follow the guide, remember to use feedback from Module One when discussing your issue. These writing notes will help you address the critical elements below, which will ultimately inform your final submission of the persuasive essay. In this assignment, you’ll take the first step in this process by writing some notes about your issue. Each response should be one fully developed paragraph in length.

Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:

1. Writing Plan: Use this writing plan as a way to gather your thoughts and determine your strategy for writing your persuasive essay. This process will allow you to develop a potential structure for effectively persuading readers to agree with your argument. This plan will be helpful in keeping your thought process on track when you begin writing and revising your essay.
   1. Your argument is the main point that you are trying to make in your essay. It should clearly state your opinion on your issue. Describe the argument to be addressed in your persuasive essay, and include how the argument is connected to your major, the major you are considering pursuing, or your field of work.
   2. Key points are pieces of evidence that support an author’s main argument. What are three possible key points for your selected issue? How do they support your main argument?
   3. Your audience is the person or people you are addressing in your essay. Who is the audience that will be reading your essay? What potential challenges will you encounter in supporting your argument with this audience?
   4. Your goal is the end result that you wish to achieve in writing this essay. What goal do you hope to accomplish? What will this essay need to be successful?
   5. Potential resources are pieces of evidence that could be used to support your argument. List potential resources that could be used as supporting evidence for your argument, and provide a brief description of each and how it will reinforce your argument.
   6. Using the supporting resources you identified above, list each of the points of your argument with the resources that support them. This process will help you begin to form an effective essay structure.
   7. Determine aspects of your argument that would be effectively supported with evidence. Defend your choices.

Guidelines for Submission: Save your work in a Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins.